Geoff Johns Reveals DC Rebirth's Influence On The Movies
06/13/2017 03:50 pm EDT
After Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice earned mixed responses from fans and critics, Warner Bros. made a concerted effort to course correct the direction of their movies in the DC cinematic universe.
One major change? They gave DC Entertainment's Chief Creative Officer a bigger role. Now Geoff Johns helps oversee the direction of the films. His first contribution in the new role finally hit theaters and blew audiences away with Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman.
But Johns has also maintained a key role in DC, now serving as the President of the company. He oversaw the DC Comics Rebirth initiative, kicking off the relaunch with the oversized one-shot that restored the sense of legacy and optimism that used to dominate their publishing line.
Johns was asked at a Wonder Woman screninge how his work in the Rebirth line influenced his participation in the movies he now helps oversee, and his answer was surprisingly simple.
"Get to the essence of the character and make the movies fun," Johns told TheWrap. "Just make sure that the characters are the characters with heart, humor, hope, heroics, and optimism at the base."
Johns is returning to comics later this year in another collaboration with Gary Frank called Doomsday Clock. The story will see the DC characters going up against the Watchmen, touting a showdown between Superman and Dr. Manhattan. The Rebirth storyline thus far has hinted that Manhattan is responsible for both the Flashpoint and the New 52 universes, tinkering with the characters' shared history.
We'll learn more about the event as it approaches its September release date.
The next film under Johns' purview is Justice League, followed by Aquaman. While Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Suicide Squad all had serious and somewhat confused tones driving the films, Wonder Woman maintained a sense of optimism and heroics that made it one of the best superhero films of the modern era.
If Justice League follows suit, it will establish DC's movies as a true threat to Marvel's dominance of the superhero market.
Justice League releases in theaters November 17. Are you excited to see the league united? Let us know with your vote in the Anticipation Rankings!
MORE DC MOVIE NEWS: Why The DCEU Could Win Big in 2017 / Henry Cavill Continues to Tease DCEU Green Lantern / Justice League Cast Member Says It Won't Be Better Than Marvel's Avengers
In Justice League, fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
Justice League is directed by Zack Snyder, from a screenplay by Chris Terrio, based on a story by Snyder and Terrio, and stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Willem Dafoe, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, J. K. Simmons, and Ciarán Hinds.
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